THE EARL OF BREADALBANE AND HOLLANDasked His Majesty's Government whether they are aware that the policy of influencing farmers to plough up extra ground is unsuited to Highland sheep farms; and whether they will consider that greater advantage would be gained by retaining and improving the present limited amount of winter grazing.
§ THE MARQUESS OF ZETLANDHis Majesty's Government, in estimating the acreage which should be ploughed up in the food-production campaign, have had regard in the main to the land which has been lost to arable cultivation since the last war; and they have followed the same principle in assigning the appropriate quota to each local executive committee. In dealing with an individual farmer, a committee is given full discretion to decide whether he can advantageously he asked to plough more land, having regard to the economy of his enterprise. The Secretary of State for Scotland has not received any complaints as to the exercise of this discretion by committees in the case of hill farmers. The committees are composed of practical agriculturists and are assisted by officers with technical qualifications.
From the statement which is to-day being made on behalf of the Government 296WA in another place, the noble Lord will see that it' is the Government's desire to encourage to the utmost the improvement of pastures and the growing of forage crops so as to enable farmers to feed cattle and sheep as far as possible from their own resources.